Apparatus for drying clothes or the like



Feb. 8, 1955 B. WEINGART 2,701,461

APPARATUS FOR DRYING CLOTHES OR THE LIKE;

Filed May 17, 1948 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 A 7'7'ORIVEV Feb. 8, 1955 B. WEINGART 2,701,461

APPARATUS FOR DRYING CLOTHES OR THE LIKE ATTORA/EY Feb. 8, 1955 B. WEINGART APPARATUS FOR DRYING CLOTHES OR THE LIKE 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed May 1' 1948 BEN WE/NGART Feb. 8, 1955 B. WElNGART 2,701,461

APPARATUS FOR DRYING CLOTHES OR THE LIKE Filed May 1 1948 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 United States Patent APPARATUS FOR DRYING CLOTHES OR THE LIKE Ben Weingart, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application May 17, 1948, Serial No. 27,518

6 Claims. (Cl. 68-241) This invention is concerned with an apparatus for drying clothes, linens, fabrics, or various articles or materials such as are generally handled in a laundry, and it is a general object of the invention to provide apparatus which is simple, practical and effective in operation.

In referring to the present invention as being concerned with the drying of clothes, or the like, it is to be understood that it is meant to be applicable to articles or materials such as are commonly handled in laundries and such as are ordinarily dried in extractors or like devices or machines.

Laundries are commonly equipped with machines known as extractors, which machines involve drums in which the materials to be dried are placed, following which the drums are rotated at high speed so that the moisture is removed through centrifugal action. The ordinary extractor is a rather large, costly machine that must be first loaded, then operated, and then emptied. The loading operation is generally rather simple. However, the operating period or the time during which the extractor is driven may be anywhere from to 30 minutes. The emptying operation is particularly diflicult and time consuming in that it is necessary for the operator to reach into the extractor and dislodge the articles which have been tightly wedged or packed therein by the centrifugal action.

Another object of the present invention is to provide drying apparatus including a carrier for the articles to be dried, characterized by an open ended cylindrical body on a wheeled support and a shiftable bottom in the body forming a press head bearing upon the articles being dried or against which they are pressed.

Another object of the invention is to provide apparatus of the general character referred to including a press that handles carriers of the character referred to above successively, or one at a time, and serves to so operate upon the carriers and the contents thereof as to effectively remove moisture, leaving the articles in a substantially dry condition such as usually results from the operation of an extractor, or the like.

It is another object of the present invention to provide apparatus of the general character referred to including units such as a carrier, a press, an ejector, all of which are of such form and construction as to enable them to be advantageously arranged and related so that articles to be dried are handled in a simple, convenient and rapid manner, and wholly without danger of being damaged in any way.

The various objects and features of my invention will be fully understood from the following detailed description of typical preferred forms and applications of the invention, throughout which description reference is made to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view illustrating apparatus embodying the present invention, showing a carrier loaded 7 and ready to be advanced into the press, and showing the press with a carrier in it and the press operated so that the contents of the carrier are compressed, and showing a carrier in the ejector and the ejector operated so that the contents of the carrier are freed, ready to be handled at will, and showing a carrier free of the other elements empty and ready to be reused. Fig. 2 is an enlarged detailed vertical sectional view of the press, being a view taken as indicated by line 2-2 on Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an enlarged transverse sectional view taken as indicated by line 3:--3 on Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is an enlarged 'ice transverse sectional view taken as indicated by line 44 on Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view of the hydraulic system incorporated in the apparatus. Fig. 6 is a vertical detailed sectional view of the ejector, being an enlarged sectional view taken as indicated by line 66 on Fig. 1. Fig. 7 is a transverse sectional view taken as indicated by line 7-7 on Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is an enlarged detailed sectional view taken as indicated by line 8-8 on Fig. 6. Fig. 9 is an enlarged detailed sectional view of a portion of the structure taken as indicated by line 9-9 on Fig. 3, and Fig. 10 is an enlarged detailed sectional view of a portion of the structure taken as indicated by line 10-10 on Fig. 4.

The apparatus provided by the present invention involves, generally, three principal units, a carrier X, a press Y, and an ejector Z. In practice the principal elements X, Y and Z may be varied widely in form and relationship, it being preferred generally that the press and ejector be mounted so as to be fixed or stationary in suitable proximity to each other, while the carrier is mobile so that it can be moved when desired between the press and ejector, and can be moved at will after leaving the ejector and in the course of being filled, until such time as it is returned to the press for a subsequent operation.

The carrier X provided by the present invention is preferably of simple form and construction, involving generally a tubular body 10, a shiftable bottom 11 in the body, and a suitable supporting means 12 for the body.

The body 10, in accordance with the present invention, is an open ended tubular element uniform in size or cross section throughout its length, and it is preferably round in cross section, as shown in the drawings. As shown the body 10 is an imperforate cylindrical element, it having been found that in practice articles pressed in the body may have a tendency to be caught in perforations and that satisfactory action is obtained without providing perforations in the body.

The shiftable bottom 11 provided in the body may be a simple flat plate to support or press against articles in the body 10. In the particular form of the invention illustrated the bottom 11 is a rigid, disc-like element slidably fitted in the body 10 with such working clearance as to allow liquids pressed from articles in the body to squeeze or drain between the wall of the body and the periphery of the bottom when the carrier is in the press and operated upon as will be hereinafter described.

The support 12 for the body 10 carries the body so that it is vertically disposed and so that its upper and lower ends are open or wholly unobstructed. In the preferred form of the invention the support 12 includes, generally, a rectangular base 13 to which the lower end portion of the body 10 is secured as by means of mounting brackets 14. A plurality of supporting wheels 15 are provided on the base and in practice the wheels may be of the caster type to facilitate free movement of the carrier in any direction.

In accordance with the present invention the bottom 11 of the carrier closes the lower end of the body 10 when the carrier is empty, as shown at the right in Fig. l, or,

' within the body.

Any suitable means may be provided to stop or support the bottom 11 in the lower end of the body 10. For instance, an inwardly turned lip 16 may be provided at the lower end of body 10, as shown in the drawings.

Through this construction the bottom 11 is effectively supported against displacement from the lower end of the body 1.0 and yet is free to be moved through the body from a position such as is shown at the left in Fig. l to a position such as is shown in Fig. 2.

The press Y shown in Figs. 1 to 10, inclusive, involves, generally, a frame 20, a mounting 21 for the frame, a stop 22 carried by the frame, a pressure head 2.3, guide means 24 guiding the carrier X into the press ready to be operated upon, positioning means 25 acting on the carrier to shift it in the press into position ready for the application. of pressure to the articles in the carrier, actuating means 26 for the head 23, and a fluid pressure system 27 operating the means 25 and 26.

In the preferred form of the invention the frame 20 is a vertically disposed structure involving upper and lower ends 30 and 31, respectively, and longitudinal ties 32 extending between and connecting the ends. The ties 32 are vertically disposed elements with their ends so curely joined or coupled to the ends 30 and 31 so that the ends 30 and 31 are positively maintained in the desired spaced relation one above the other, as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings.

The mounting 21 for the frame 20 may, in practice, vary Widely in form and construction. In the form of the invention under consideration the frame is of substantial vertical extent and the mounting is such as to support the frame from its lower end portion and within a catch basin 33. In this particular case the catch basin 33 is defined by suitable walls 34 of concrete, or the like, and is of considerable depth so that the level of the surrounding platform or floor F occurs about midway between the upper and lower ends of the frame. As a result of this general arrangement a substantial portion of the frame, and, consequently, of the press, is located below the level of the floor P where it is housed within the catch basin 33.

Where an arrangement of the character just mentioned is employed a mounting means for the frame may advantageously include supporting beams 35 mounted or supported in any suitable manner and arranged to support the lower end 31 of the frame in a manner shown throughout the drawings. It is to be understood, of course, that the catch basin 33 may have a bottom drain 37 so that liquids drained into the basin as the press operates may be readily drained or withdrawn therefrom, as circumstances require.

The stop 22 provided by the present invention is a plate or abutment carried by one end of the frame. In the form of the invention under consideration the stop 22 is a fiat plate-like element supported in a horizontal position by the upper end 30 of the frame. The stop 22 is of such size and shape as to form an abutment against which one end of the carrier body 10 may be engaged in the manner shown throughout the drawings.

The guide means 24 is such as to advantageously guide a carrier X laterally into the press or into the frame to be located between the ends of the frame with one end of the carrier body 10 in line with the stop 22. In the particular case illustrated the means 24 involves tracks 38 extending transversely of the frame and normally positioned flush with the floor F. The tracks 38 are so spaced as to readily receive the rollers or wheels 15 of a carrier X so that an operator can conveniently roll the carrier along the floor F and onto the rails 38 in the course of positioning the carrier in the press.

The means 24 further includes a guide 3? operating to center the carrier X in the desired aligned position relative to the stop 22. The guide 39 is preferably a flange-like element depending from the end of the frame which carries the stop 22. In the form of the invention illustrated the guide 39 depends from the top end 30 of the frame and it is a yoke-like element with sides 41 between which the body of the carrier enters and with a curved back 42 between the sides against which the body 10 rests or fits when the carrier is in proper aligned position.

The means 24 further includes a projection or boss 44 that may be located on the stop 22 and which is preferably of such size and shape as to slidably engage in the end of the carrier body 10 engaged with the stop 22. The projection 44 supplements the action of the guide 39 and is such that when the body of the carrier is shifted axially into engagement with the stop 22 the projection 44 is so entered into the end of the body 10 of the carrier that the carrier cannot shift laterally but rather is effectively guided in proper aligned position relative to the stop. In the preferred form of the invention the boss 44 is provided with a face member 45 having a multiplicity of perforations 46. Suitable circumferential and radial grooves 47 and 43 may be provided in the boss 44 adjacent to and registering with the perforations so that water or moisture which is drained through element 45 is conducted outwardly to discharge at the periphery of the boss. The head 23 of the press is the pressure element which is operated relative to the stop 22 in such manner as to exert the desired pressure upon the contents of the carrier X. In theform of the invention under consideration the pressure head 23 is a simple, round, plate-like clement supported by the means 26 so that it is in a plane parallel with the plane of the stop 22. In the preferred form of the invention, head 23 may be provided with suitable circumferential and radial grooves 49 and 50 to be adjacent to and to register with the perforations 11 in the bottom 11 when the head is in engagement with the bottom as shown in Fig. 2.

When the head 23 is in the down or retracted position it is below the lower end of a carrier body as the carrier is positioned in the press by operation along the rails 38. When the carrier is in line with the stop 22 the plate 23 may be operated toward the stop 22 with consequent application of pressure to articles in the carrier between the head and the stop. In the particular form of the invention under consideration the stop 22 is at the upper end of the carrier body while the pressure head 23 operates upwardly and in such manner as to engage under the bottom 11 of the carrier, causing the bottom 11 to advance upwardly in the body 10 toward the stop 22. In the course of upward movement of the bottom 11 in the body 10 artciles or material in the carrier are pressed between the bottom and the stop 22. Liquids thus pressed or extracted from the articles or materials in the carrier escape or drain through the perforations 11 and through the grooves 49 to 50 between the bottom 11 and the head 23 to the outer periphery of the head and there are free to flow by gravity from the body It? into the catch basin 33.

The positioning means 25 operates to bodily shift the carrier X in the frame of the press so that after the carrier has been moved laterally into the press it is shifted longitudinally or vertically into operating engagement with the stop 22. In the form of the invention illustrated the means 25 involves a plurality of fluid pressure operated units which are operatively coupled with the tracks 33 on which the carriage is supported. In the case illustrated there are four such units each involving a cylinder 51 and a piston 52 operating in the cylinder. The cylinders and pistons are mounted so that they are vertically disposed and push rods 53 project upwardly from the pistons and are coupled to the rails 38 preferably by loose pivotal connections 54.

In a construction where there are two rails and four cylinder and piston units it is preferred that these parts be related so that two cylinder and piston units are coupled to and operate each rail. From the drawings it will be apparent how fluid under pressure admitted to the lower ends of the cylinders 51 push the pistons up so that the push rods 53 elevate the rails 38 and as the rails are elevated the carrier is moved up until the body It) is in engagement with the stop 22.

The actuating means 26 for the head 23 is shown as involving a cylinder 55 and a ram 56 operating in the cylinder. In the arrangement under consideration the cylinder 55 is located in the lower portion of the frame so that it is within the catch basin 33 with its upper end substantially flush with the floor F. A suitable packing means 57 is provided at the upper end of the cylinder 55 sealing the ram as it enters the cylinder. The ram projects above the upper end of the cylinder and supports the pressure plate 23 in the desired position relative to the stop 22. The lower end of the cylinder 55 is closed so that when fluid is introduced into the cylinder 55 under pressure the ram is forced upwardly causing the head or pressure plate 23 on its upper end to be advanced toward the stop 22.

The fluid pressure system 27 may vary widely in form, construction and arrangement of parts. In the form of the invention under consideration the system 27 involves, generally, a prime mover or motor M which may operate constantly. The motor M is shown coupled to and driving a low pressure, high volume, pump 60 and also a low volume, high pressure, pump 61. Inlet lines 62 couple the intakes of the pumps 60 and 61 with a suitable reservoir 63. The outlet or delivery line 64 from pump 60, and the outlet or delivery line 65 from pump 61 are connected together or extend to and supply a common pressure supply line 66 which is connected with the lower ends of the cylinders 51 and with cylinder 55.

A bypass connection 67 is provided between the pressure supply line 66 and the reservoir 63, the bypass being under controlof a valve 68. The delivery line -64 of pump 60 is coupled with the'reservo'ir'63 through a return line 69 provided with a pressure regulating valve 70. The delivery line 65 from pump 61 is coupled with the reservoir 63 by a return line 71 provided with a pressure regulating valve "72. In practice the valve 70 is set to open and discharge fluid from pump 60 into reservoir 63 under low pressure, as for instance 300 pounds, whereas the valve 72 is set "to open only when a high pressure, say for instance 2000 pounds, has developed. A check valve 75 is provided between the delivery lines 64 and 65 of the pumps 60 and 61 so that fluid from pump 60 may be supplied to the pressure supply line 66 together with fluid from pump 61, but pressure from pump 61 cannot back up into pump 60 or into the line 69 which is equipped with the low pressure relief valve 70.

With this system the motor M may run constantly and if the valve 68 is open the fluid handled by the pumps 60 and 61 will merely circulate while the pistons 52 are at the lower ends of cylinders 51 and ram 56 is in the lower position in cylinder 55. The weight of the parts related to the pistons 52 is such as to normally maintain the pistons 52 in the lower ends of the cylinders 51, and the weight of the ram and head thereon is such as to normally hold the ram in the down or retracted position.

When the valve 68 is closed fluid cannot return to the reservoir 63 except through the pressure relief valves 70 and 72 and since the pump 60 is a low pressure, high volume pump there is an initial delivery of a substantial volume of fluid to the pressure supply line 66, cansing the pistons 52 to be moved upwardly and the carrier in the press positioned with its body engaged with the stop 22, and at the same time-causing the ram 56 to start up and to continue up ata substantial velocity causing initial compression of the materials in the carrier. As the articles .or materials in the. carrier become compressed resistance to upward movement of the ram develops and when this resistance becomes great enough the pressure in the hydraulic system increases so that valve 70 opens and the low pressure pump 60 is cut out of service, leaving only the high pressure pump 60 to operate the ram.

The high pressure pump 61 continues to operate and deliver fluid under high pressure to the ram cylinder 55 until such time as maximum desired pressure has been created, whereupon the relief valve 72 opens allowing further pressure developed by the pump 61 to bypass through connection 71 and valve 72 to the reservoir 63.

In practice valve 72 may be adjustable so as to open at various pressures or as shown in the drawings several relief valves may be provided each being set to open at different pressures. As shown in Fig. '5 of the drawings a relief valve 73 is provided which valve may be set for any desired pressure, for instance a pressure of r 1300 pounds. Relief valve 73 is shown carried in a separate bypass connection which extends from delivery line 71 to the reservoir and is under control of a shut-off valve 74. It will be readily understood that when valve 74 is opened pump 61 continues to operate but that fluid is delivered to line 66 at a lower pressure.

Following the foregoing operation of the means 25 and 26 the valve 68 can be opened whereupon the pressure is relieved from line 66 allowing, the pistons 52 to return to the lower ends of cylinders 51 and the ram 56 to return to its down or retracted position. When this operation has been completed, the carrier with the articles or materials carried therein, compressed in its up per end, is free to be rolled from the press alongthe rails 38.

Theejector Z is such as to act upon the carrierX having a charge of articles or material compressed therein so that such compressed charge is ejected from the body of the carrier and made accessible to be handled as may be desired. The ejector, as shown in the drawings involves generally a holder 75 retaining the body 10 of the carrier as the ejecting operation is being performed, an ejecting head 76 that operates in or relative to the body 10 to act on the compressed charge C in such manner as to force it from the body 10, operating means 77 for the head 76, and control means 78 for the operating means 77.

In the particular ejector illustrated in the drawings the holder 75 involves spaced parallel abutments 79 which may be anchored by suitable brackets 80 so that they are parallel with and suitably spaced above the floor 'F to allow the 'base 13 of a carrier X to be slid under and between them so that they overlie such base. In the particular case illustrated the brackets 80 are shown carried by a suitable rigid supporting structure 83 and the abutments 79 are opposed flange-like parts so disposed as to overlie the flat tops 84 of the carrier base. The abutments or flanges 79 are preferably of such length as to have engagement With the base throughout a substantial distance so that the base, when engaged under the flanges, is effectively held against vertical movement.

It is preferred in practice to provide guide rails 85 at the floor F and parallel with the rails or abutment 79 so that the wheels of the carriage can be engaged with the rails, enabling the carriage to be conveniently operated in the desired manner relative to the abutments. Further, it is desirable to provide a stop 86 so that as the carrier is moved along the rails it is stopped in the desired position relative to the head 76.

The head 76 in the normal or retracted position is below the lower end of the body 10 of a carrier in position in the ejector. The head 76 is a plate-like element and may be such as to operate vertically so that it engages the bottom 11 of the carrier. The plate 76 is operable vertically to a position where the bottom of the carrier is flush with the upper end of the body 10 of the carrier in which case the compressed charge C has been completely displaced from the body 10 and is free above the upper end of the body 10 to be handled in any desired manner. In practice it is preferred to provide a handling or transfer platform P adjacent the upper end of the body 10 of the carrier when the carrier is in the ejector as shown in Fig. 6, it being preferred that the top of the platform P be so located as to enable the operator to readily slide the charge C of material onto the platform where it can be either broken apart or handled as desired.

The operating means 77 provided for forcing the ejecting head 76 upwardly from the retracted position to the up position shown in Fig. 6 is preferably a cylinder and piston mechanism involving, generally, a vertically disposed cylinder 90 and a piston 91 operating therein. A rod 92 is connected with the piston 91 and extends upwardly from the upper end of the cylinder 91 through a suitable packing 93. The ejecting head 76 is carried by the upper end of the rod 92.

The control 78 provided for the means 77 may be any suitable means by which fluid under pressure is admitted to the ends of the cylinder 90 to move the piston 91 up or down in the cylinder, as circumstances require. In the form of the invention illustrated the means'78 is shown as including a multiple position valve 95 controlling flow of fluid from a supply line 96 to and from the upper and lower ends of the cylinder 90 through cylinder connections 97 and 98. It is preferred, in practice, that air be employed as the operating medium' in which case the action of the ejector is rapid and it is unnecessary to provide an exhaust or discharge line, but rather the air may be allowed to escape at or near the valve 95.

It will be apparent from the foregoing description that the ejector Z is of simple form and construction. A carrier with a charge C compressed in it may be conveniently positioned in the ejector and when fluid under pressure. is admitted at the lower end of cylinder 90 the ejector operates so that the head 76 forces the charge out of the upper end of the carrier body 10. After the charge C has been removed, as for instance onto the platform P, or in any-other desired manner, relief of pressure from the lower end of the cylinder and application of pressure to the upper end of the cylinder 90 causes the head to return or retract, leaving the carrier free to be withdrawn from the ejector. When the carrier has been withdrawn from the ejector its bottom 11 is in the lower end of the body and the carrier is again ready to be loaded or charged.

It is preferred to employ a plurality of carriers X and I may if I desire employ more than one press to serve in connection with a single ejector. By providing a plurality of carriers the materials to be handled or dried can be loaded at any desired location or locations and at will, and the press, which is a large costly unit of equipment, may be kept in constant operation. It is highly significant to note that it is unnecessary to unload the apparatus following operation of the press in a manner comparable to the unloading of the ordinary extractor, but rather the carriers after their charges have been compressed, may be removed from the press and stored or handled as may be convenient.

Having described only typical preferred forms and applications of my invention, 1 do not wish to be limited or restricted to the specific details herein set forth, but wish to reserve to myself any variations or modifications that may appear to those skilled in the art and fall within the scope of the following claims.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. An apparatus useful for drying clothes, said apparatus comprising a press having a vertically disposed frame, a stop carried by the frame at the upper end thereof, a pressure head below the stop and shiftable vertically relative to the stop, and meansfor operating the head relative to the stop, a carrier lllcltldlllg an open ended tubular body and a bottom in the body shiftable longitudinally of the body, the body being eugageable in the press with the bottom between the stop and head, guide means for positioning the carrier in the frame including longitudinally disposed rails along which the carrier is shiftable into and out of position, and piston means for operating the rails vertically to move the body of the carrier into and out of engagement with the stop.

2. An apparatus useful for drying clothes, said apparatus comprising a press having a frame, a first stop carried by the frame, a pressure head shiftable relative to the stop, and means operating the head vertically relative to the stop, a carrier including an open ended tubular body and a bottom in the body being engageable in the press with the bottom between the stop and head, and guide means positioning the carrier in the frame including horizontal rails along which the carrier is shiftable into and out of position, a second stop carried by said first stop and adapted to limit movement of the carrier in one direction along the rails, and a centering projection on said first stop adapted to enter one end of said body.

3. An apparatus useful for drying clothes, said appaparatus comprising a carrier having a tubular body, a bottom shiftable in said body, a base on said body carrying supporting wheels, a press including a vertically disposed frame, a stop carried by said frame, a pressure head shiftable vertically relative to .said frame, means for operating said pressure head toward said stop, vertically movable rails horizontally disposed to conduct said carrier into and out of said press, and operating means operatively connected to said rails for raising the latter to move said carrier into engagement with said stop prior to termination of movement of said pressure head toward said stop.

4. An apparatus useful for drying clothes, said apparatus comprising a carrier having a vertical tubular body, a bottom shiftable axially in said body, a base on said body carrying supporting wheels, a press including a vertically disposed frame, a fixed stop carried by said frame, a pressure head movable vertically into said body and relative to said frame, fluid pressure actuated means for operating said pressure head toward said stop, vertically movable guide means engaging said carrier body supporting wheels when said carrier is located in said frame, and fluid pressure actuated means for operating said guide means to move said guide means vertically with respect to said stop.

5. An apparatus useful for drying clothes, said apparatus comprising a frame including a stop plate, a presser head disposed below said stop plate and movable up towards said stop plate and down from said stop plate, a carrier for clothes to be dried, said carrier including a tubular body having an open upper end and a lower end including a bottom movable lengthwise within said body toward and from the open end of said body, said carrier body being disposed below said stop plate with the upper open end of the body being spaced downward from the stop plate, means to lift said carrier body into contact with said stop plate at the start of a clothes drying operation, said stop plate having a centering boss and a skirt both extending downwardly from said stop plate and defining a recess between said boss and skirt into which the upper end of the carrier body moves when it goes into engagement with said stop plate, and means to move said presser head into engagement with the movable bottom of said carrier body and cause said presser head to push said bottom upwardly within the carrier body to compress clothes against said stop plate while the carrier body is held against the stop plate, the bottom end of said carrier body having an opening therein of suificient size to accommodate said presser head and permit the presser head to move upwardly with respect to the lower end of the carrier body.

6. An apparatus useful for drying clothes, said appaparatus comprising a frame including a fixed stop member and a presser member disposed opposite to said stop member and movable toward and from said stop member, a carrier for clothes to be dried, said carrier including an open ended tubular body, said tubular body being positioned between said stop member and said presser member with an open end of the tubular body being disposed adjacent to but spaced from the stop member, the other end of said tubular body defining an opening of size sufficient to admit said presser head into said tubular body to compress clothes to be dried, fluidpressure responsive means engaging said carrier, said carrier being movable toward said stop member in response to force produced by said fluid pressure responsive means, means to admit fluid under pressure to said fluid pressure responsive means to move said carrier toward said stop member until the carrier tubular body engages said stop member and stops further movement of said carrier, and fluid pressure means to move said presser member into said tubular body toward said stop member to compress clothes contained Within said tubular body, the fluid pressure means for moving the carrier and the fluid pressure means for moving the presser member being operable simultaneously and the presser member means adapted to continue its operation after the carrier body engages the stop member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 322,687 Daigneau July 21, 1885 697,251 Hubbell Apr. 8, 1902 1,032,182 Brunnert July 9, 1912 1,191,661 Cadwell July 18, 1916 1,434,587 Broadley Nov. 7, 1922 1,671,913 Troy May 29, 1928 1,738,326 Smith Dec. 3, 1929 2,148,543 Dinzl Feb. 28, 1939 2,298,393 Lindner Oct. 13, 1942 2,549,344 Strike Apr. 17, 1951 2,575,672 Miller Nov. 20, 1951 2,576,776 Cavagnaro Nov. 27, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,194 Great Britain 1885 666,569 Germany Oct. 22, 1938 668,240 Germany Nov. 29, 1938 856,151 France Mar. 11, 1940 

